---
title: "American Heart Health Month: Feline Hypertension and What It Means for Your Cat"
description: "Understand feline hypertension, its common underlying causes like kidney disease and hyperthyroidism, and how high blood pressure is treated."
date: "2017-02-10T05:32:49Z"
author: "Just Cats Clinic"
image: "/img/6462383b"
canonical: "/american-heart-health-month-feline-hypertension-and-what-it-means-for-your-cat/"
---

# American Heart Health Month: Feline Hypertension and What It Means for Your Cat


In honor of American Heart Health Month, we wanted to talk about a problem that affects a large number of our feline
friends—hypertension. We'll talk about what it is, what it can mean, and how we treat it.

![Feline patient resting comfortably during a veterinary examination](/img/6462383b)

In honor of February’s Heart Health Awareness Month, we wanted to go into depth about a problem affecting a large
number of our feline friends—hypertension. We'll talk about what it is, what it can mean, and how we treat it.

High blood pressure (hypertension) is a common disease in both humans and cats. The condition is defined as occurring
when the cat’s blood pressure is consistently higher than normal. Generally, that means above 175 mmHg. Hypertension
most frequently affects older cats and results from other underlying medical conditions. Chronic kidney disease is often
such a cause, but there are also other diseases that can trigger hypertension, including hyperthyroidism and heart
disease.

## What Are the Clinical Signs of Hypertension?

In many cats, symptoms can be vague and difficult to catch at home. The most common ones include abnormal
vocalization—for example, a normally quiet cat begins vocalizing at night—or agitation and difficulty settling.

In some cats, there are no signs until the hypertension has become somewhat severe. When the condition reaches that
point, abnormalities in the cat’s vision are the most common indicators. Examples of these include dilated pupils that
do not constrict with light, blood in the eye chambers, and/or blindness.

It may seem odd that blindness is a symptom of high blood pressure, but the loss of vision happens when the hypertension
causes the retina to detach from the cat’s eye.

When the hypertension results from other underlying conditions, such as heart, thyroid, or kidney disease, the symptoms
could include increased water intake, increased urination, vomiting, and weight loss.

## What Are the Effects of Hypertension on the Different Organs?

If left untreated for a long time, high blood pressure damages a cat’s organs, especially those that are considered
more vulnerable than others. Those include:

- **The brain and nervous system:** Hypertension can cause bleeding in these areas of the body, which can lead to
  neurological symptoms such as a wobbly gait, dementia, seizures, or coma.
- **The eyes:** As was mentioned above, high blood pressure can cause changes to and even detachment of the retina. This
  may result in sudden blindness.
- **The heart:** Because the heart has to work harder to pump blood, the muscle may thicken over time. In very severe
  cases, this could result in heart failure and difficulty breathing.
- **The kidneys:** In addition to being a symptom of chronic kidney disease, high blood pressure can also increase the
  risk of developing kidney failure. The small blood vessels in the kidney cannot withstand the high pressure and become
  increasingly more damaged.

## How Is Feline Hypertension Diagnosed?

![Veterinary team performing a blood pressure check on a cat](/img/bb474cf6)

Because hypertension is only apparent at more serious stages, such as the sudden onset of blindness or neurological
abnormalities, it is important to be proactive and get your cat’s blood pressure checked regularly. If your cat is
older than seven, the checks should be performed twice a year at your senior cat exams since the disease is more common
in older felines. In cats suffering from chronic kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, or heart disease, blood pressure
should also be carefully assessed and monitored.

## How Is Hypertension Treated?

After determining that your cat is suffering from hypertension, we will try to address any complications that have
occurred. Then we’ll assess whether the high blood pressure is caused by another disease. If the hypertension is due
to an underlying disease such as chronic kidney failure, treatment of the main disease may also help control the high
blood pressure.

If the hypertension is not secondary, anti-hypertensive drugs will likely be prescribed for your cat. Once your cat is
on anti-hypertensive drugs, we’ll have to closely monitor its blood pressure and watch for any ocular changes.

## What Is the Prognosis for Hypertension?

Most cats with hypertension will need long-term therapy and management. If the hypertension is not caused by any
underlying disease, it is usually possible to manage and control the high blood pressure and prevent further
complications to other organs. If the hypertension is caused by an underlying disease, the long-term prognosis depends
on what kind and how severe the disease is.